2018 Kona Honzo, Big Kahuna, Salsa Timberjack NX

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    • #255883

      Looking into getting into one of these bikes. I know everyone raves about the Honzo, but it’s only a 29er. I test rode a 2019 timberjack last weekend and it felt huge. The big Honzo is a little out of my price range.

      What are your thoughts and opinions?

    • #255926

      Why not a Santa Cruz Chameleon?  Better fork for the money and lighter.   I don’t get all the hype Salsa gets.  Generally not a lot of bike for the money and I know three people who have broken their chainstays.

    • #255928

      I’ce looked at them, very nice  bikes. Unfortunately it pushes me past my budget. I’m mostly looking at 2018 leftovers.

    • #255935

      I’m a huge fan of 29+. Any bike with 2.6-2.8in tires on i30-35mm (i=inner width) rims is what I look for first. There’s a reason the lastest generation of Enduro bikes come with 29×2.6 tires and that’s because the combination of huge rollover with a wide high-volume tire makes the bike more capable when the going gets rough. The 29+ hardtail is the closest you’ll get to full-suspension without having full-suspension. The tall wide wheels might feel huge when you first start riding but after about a week, bikes with smaller narrower wheels feel too small. Go 29+! Test ride the 29+ Salsa Timberjack that comes with 29×2.6 tires.

    • #255953

      Have the Honzo, really like the Honzo. Excellent aggressive “trail” geometry. I have tried + size tires, not my thing. Maybe somewhere other then Southern California is the intended application though for that though.

    • #255961

      I actually just picked up the Big Kahuna Thru Jensonusa. So far I really like it. Wanted a hardtail to complement my Carbon Intense Tracer

       

      You can pick up the Big Kahuna for 999 right now, which is one of the reasons I picked it up.

    • #255965

      I picked up a Dartmoor Primal 27.5 and built it up late fall.  Awesome frame and geometry running a 160mm fork, and the frame was ~$350 shipped new.

       

       

    • #256051

      was going to buy the karate monkey until i found a really good used deal, but the new 2019 KM looks dope as fuck. the new standard specced fork is a RS Sektor 140mm, which definitely puts it into the “rowdy” hardtail category. if i were to buy a new hardtail, i’d go with the KM for the singlespeed dropouts and several other mounts in various places on the frame.

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